Heated ironing table



Oct. 12, 1943. FAY 2,331,673

HEATED I RONING TABLE Filed Dec. 1:5, 1940 INVENTQR. Homes 5. Fm: E 60 50 I v v ATTORNEY 5.

Patented Oct. 12, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEATED moms TABLE Horace B. Fay, Willonghby, Ohio, assignor to Gridiron Steel Company v Application December 13, 1940, Serial No. 370,016 4 Claims. (01. 219-19) provide heating means for the board which are easily removable for replacement and at the same time to provide a light rugged top having an encircling frame of very considerable strength and resistance to injury from careless handling.

Another and important object is the provision of an ironing surface which can be reconditioned from time to time by the user to remove accidentally received dents in its surface and at the same time provide an ironing surface having a high degree of ventilation and thus direct heating action on the pad and shield to aid in removing the moisture which is present in the clothes or materials being ironed.

Another object of the invention is to provide heating means within the board itself which are visibly safe to the average user and which at the same time have a high emciency. To accomplish this result,-I have used infra-red raylamps or similar devices which lend themselves to both good heating efficiency and tothorough safety, both actual and visual.

The objects in the present structure are obtained by employing a relatively rigid encircling frame with transverse bracing and tensioning members and compensating for the extra weight of such frame by employing as the ironing surface a single sheet of thin material such as perforated sheet or a sheet of screen cloth or other openwork sheet in which the aggregate area of the openings is 40% or more of the total area, such sheet being placed under tension to maintain it in its flat condition with the tensioning means adjustable to recondition or retension it from time to timeas may be necessary.

With such an ironing surface through which the user may look, it isdesirabl'e to employ heating means which are not only efflcient and safe but which also look safe to the average user and by the use of glass enclosed heating bulbs such as infra-red raylamps or near infra-red ray lamps as they are often designated, the users only see objects to which they are accustomed.

namely lamp bulbs which are commonly used by everybody.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims; the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain structure embodying the invention, such disclosed structure constituting, however, but one of various forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of'the preferred ironing-table construction embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view I taken on the line 2-4 of Fig. 1; and a Fig. 3 is a transverse crosssectional 'view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing I have shown an consisting of a conventional folding; stand l0, the particular construction of which is unimportant as it is clear that the tabletop or ironing board ll proper can be used either in connection with a stand or separately as a skirt board or for cabinet or permanent installation. The board l0 proper is the same as shown in my co-pending application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 368,635, filed Dec. 5, 1940, and consists of a relatively large diameter thin walled tubular frame I! shaped to conventional ironing board design with a substantially rectangular rear portion and a tapered front or nose portion.

This tubular frame is preferably split at the rear and a short section of tubing l4 inserted into open ends l5 of the frame so that the latter may slide thereon.

Mounted over 'said frame and rigidly secured thereon is a sheet or cover It of reticulated or openwork and non-inflammable material, here shown as woven wire screen. As illustrated, the

screen is extended over the top surfaces of the frame and is welded or brazed or. otherwise rigidly secured to the bottom face ll thereof. The particular method of attaching is unimportant, provided that the cover (or the transverse wires of the screen relative to the largest dimension of the top) be uniformly secured to the frame. In attaching the screen or other sheet, it is desirable-to secure the ends of all the wires which extend transversely of the table top, or the edge'of a sheet along-the side members of the frame, so that when the latter is' expanded ironing table sist of a series of transversely disposed tensioning braces 20, three such being shown, the numher and positioning depending, of course, on the length and width of the board and the exact tension necessary.

In the form shown, each brace 20 consists of a pair of sockets 21 secured to the opposite points on the frame in which are mounted members in the form of tubes 22 having their adjacent ends threaded and received in a threaded coupling and expansion members 23 which has a series of radially extending holes 24 at the center. After the frame is formed with the braces secured in place and the screen or cover sheet applied as smoothly and lightly as possible with the frame reduced in size, the couplings 23 are rotated so as to force the members 22 apart, the threaded ends being so arranged that rotation of the coupling in one direction moves the tubes apart. Such movement spreads the side members of the frame as they tend to move apart from the center of the rounded nose which acts as the hinge point. If the screen is applied in relatively fiat level condition to the frame, as it should be, then only very slight movement of the opposite frame sides away from each other is necessary to secure a relative high degree of tension in the surface member. The several braces 2B are adjusted until the entire screen or cover sheet is brought under even tension suflicient to support an iron and the ironing pressure with substantially no sagging, and if slight stretching occurs under long use the cover or ironing surface may be retightened quickly and easily by further adjustment of the braces.

The tensioning means also provide transverse stiffening members for the frame to form a rigid structure and may be used as the connecting supports for the conventional leg stand or for whatever type of support is employed as well as for the tensioning of the frame.

The heating means employed consist of a reflector pan 3!), preferably made of suitable material such as specially finished aluminum or other good reflecting material, such pan being preferably formed of a single sheet properly rounded to obtain good reflection and having a door at the rear through which the heating elements proper may be inserted or removed for inspection or V renewal when necessary.

In applying heat to the under surface of the screen or openwork metal cover, it is desirable to use electrical meanswhich will give substantially even distribution and which are entirely safe electrically. In addition, it is highly advantageous to employ heating means which appear safe to the user as they can be readily seen through the openwork top. A screen or the like which absorbs heat readily aids greatly in obtaining even distribution as heat absorbed is conducted evenly through the wires and thus quickly becomes evenly heated throughout its surface.

To obtain even distribution and perfect safety both actual and visual, I have employed lamps as the heating medium, these being of the infraare devices with which the average household user of the present table is thoroughly familiar.

Such infra-red ray type lamps give high heating eificiency, with long life and easy interchangeability. To use such lamps, I have provided the reflector pan with a substantially flat bottom portion 3| having a guldeway longitudinally of the board and in this guideway is mounted a sliding member 32 carrying the sockets 33 and electrical connections which slide with the sockets may be removed through the rear door 34, the slide being provided with an extension cord and plug 35. The board itself is shown as having a double socket 36 mounted at the rear with an extension cord and plug 31 for attachment to any available wall socket or convenience outlet. The plug 35 of the heating element as well as an iron may be plugged into the board outlet 36, thus allowing the user to cut ofi the heating devices where the board is to be used for only very limited periods of time.

I have shown three heating lamps mounted on the slide spaced approximately equally lengthwise of the board but the exact number, size and shape or capacity of such units will of course depend upon the size of the board and the amount of heat desired.

The present board thus provides alight Weight, sturdy strong ironing surface which has a high degree of ventilation and even and high heat distribution through its top to aid in the ironing operation.

In addition, the present construction provides an ironing table in which the heating devices can be easily replaced when necessary and makes use of heating devices which to the user are common household devices with which the user is thoroughly familiar, thus not only being safe but giving the appearance of safety and the assurance which comes from using familiar appliances.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may b employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the structure herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In an ironing table top, the combination of a'frame in the shape of the finished top, a sheet of reticulated material stretched over said frame and secured thereto in its tensioned condition to provide a taut ironing surface, adjustable means for spreading the frame to provide said tension, 2. metal reflecting pan secured to the under side of said frame, and a series of heating elements removably mounted in said pan, said reflecting pan being suillciently flexible to permit spreading of said frame.

2. In an electrically heated ironing table, the

combination of an ironing board member consisting of an encircling frame and a reticulated metal sheet tensioned thereover to form the ironing surface, means for tensioning said.sheet, a reflecting type of pan secured to said frame and extending below the latter, heating means removably mounted in said pan below said reticulated metal sheet and adapted to furnish even heat distribution to and through said sheet, and a door in said reflector pan through which the heating and tensioning means are accessible.

3. In an electrically heated metal ironing table, the combination of an ironing board member consisting of a. tubular metal encircling frame and a reticulated flexible metal sheet tensioned thereover and secured thereto to form the ironing surface, means connected to said frame for 2,381,673 spreading the same to tension said sheet, a rethereover and secured thereto to form the ironing surface, means connected to said fram for spreading the same to tension said sheet, a reflecting pan secured to the frame and extending below the sheet, longitudinal guides on the floor of said pan, a plate having heating means thereon slidable along said guides, and a door in a wall .of the reflector through which said plate may be removed. HORACE B. FAY. 

